Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Garry Shortland, Linda Vijeh and Martin Wale.

The minutes of the previous meetings held on 3^rd September 2019 and 18^th September 2019 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

In accordance with the Council's current Code of Conduct (as amended 26 February 2015), which includes all the provisions relating to Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPI), personal and prejudicial interests, Members are asked to declare any DPI and also any personal interests (and whether or not such personal interests are also "prejudicial") in relation to any matter on the agenda for this meeting.

Members are reminded that they need to declare the fact that they are also a member of a County, Town or Parish Council as a Personal Interest.  Where you are also a member of Somerset County Council and/or a Town or Parish Council within South Somerset you must declare a prejudicial interest in any business on the agenda where there is a financial benefit or gain or advantage to Somerset County Council and/or a Town or Parish Council which would be at the cost or to the financial disadvantage of South Somerset District Council. 

Planning Applications Referred to the Regulation Committee

The following members of this Committee are also members of the Council's Regulation Committee:

Councillors Jason Baker, Sue Osborne and Linda Vijeh.

Where planning applications are referred by this Committee to the Regulation Committee for determination, Members of the Regulation Committee can participate and vote on these items at the Area Committee and at Regulation Committee.  In these cases the Council's decision-making process is not complete until the application is determined by the Regulation Committee.  Members of the Regulation Committee retain an open mind and will not finalise their position until the Regulation Committee.  They will also consider the matter at Regulation Committee as Members of that Committee and not as representatives of the Area Committee.

There were no declarations of interest.

Councillors are requested to note that the next Area West Committee meeting is scheduled to be held on Wednesday 20^th November 2019 at 5.30pm at The Guildhall, Chard.

Members noted that the next scheduled meeting of the Area West Committee would be held on Wednesday 20^th November 2019 at 5.30pm at The Guildhall, Chard.

Members noted the report detailing planning appeals that had been received, allowed and dismissed.

This is a chance to ask questions, make comments and raise matters of concern.

Parish/Town Councils may also wish to use this opportunity to ask for the District Council’s support on any matter of particular concern to their Parish/Town.

Anyone wishing to raise matters in relation to items on the agenda may do so at the time the item is considered.

There were no questions raised by members of the public.

The Chairman informed members that Andrew Gunn, Specialist - Planning was leaving SSDC and wished to thank him for all his help and advice to Area West Committee.  Members reiterated their thanks and wished Andrew all the very best for the future.

The Chairman reported that the Area West Parish Meeting held the previous week had been well attended with lots of interesting debate to take forward.  Officers would be looking to keep this as an annual event. 

The Property and Development Project Manager advised that since planning permission was granted in September, the project team had been working hard to get the necessary conditions discharged prior to demolition starting on site.  The archaeologist was due to go on site shortly to carry out the recording of building 1 prior to its demolition.  Members were informed that the budget for the demolition and enabling works had been approved by the Chard Regeneration Scheme Board and the contract had been awarded.  Mobilisation was currently underway and it was hoped that contractors would be on site at the end of October/early November.  She advised that the full budget for phase 1 would be known in December and would be submitted to the Chard Regeneration Scheme Board.

The Property and Development Project Manager informed members that confirmation had been received from Historic England that the bid to the High Streets Heritage Action Zone had been put through to the next round.  The bid consisted of the following three public realm projects (in priority order) – No 1. The area outside The Guildhall, No 2. Holyrood Street down from Fore Street to Sainsburys and No 3. Boden Street junction.  The projects would be discussed at the Stakeholders meeting on 30^th October and a consultation workshop was planned with shop and building owners in mid-November.  The programme design would be submitted in December which would hopefully be signed off with a funding agreement in place in Spring 2020.  Another part of the bid included the restoration of historic buildings and it was planned to make some improvements to the shop fronts on Holyrood Street.  Members were also informed that a Cultural Consortium would be set up within the next six months.

Members were informed that the Chard Regeneration Scheme Programme was still on track with demolition works due to be complete by early 2020.  Construction would be starting in the Spring and the Leisure Centre was scheduled to be open in Summer 2021.

The project team were also looking at Phase 2 of the development which incorporated the Mill Buildings and the Boden Centre.

In response to questions, members were informed that:

·         The Gateway Project had been put on hold due to the need to produce the Public Realm Design Guide Strategy.  Now that the Strategy was in place, the Gateway Project would be brought forward by the Project Manager.

·         The schedule was still within the project timeline originally presented to the Chard Regeneration Scheme Board.

·         The net and gross budget for Phase 1 was within the originally agreed budget.

·         Quarterly update reports would be presented to Area West Committee.

·         Discussions have taken place with the current owner of the Manor Court House building and Historic England about funding options for conserving the building.

Members thanked the Property and Development Project Manager for her update report.

Members expressed their disappointment over the lack of agenda items coming forward to future meetings of Area West Committee.  Members asked for reports on Historic Buildings at Risk, S106 obligations and an update from the Highway Authority.

The Locality Team Leader advised that the Historic Buildings at Risk report had been requested but had not come forward due to capacity issues.  The Leader advised that the information on S106 obligations was available from officers upon request.

In response to a member comment, the Locality Team Leader advised that the Merriott Village Hall grant application had slipped to November to allow Merriott Village Hall to reaffirm other funding before the application is considered by the Area West Committee.

Members noted that the report on Chard and District Museum Society would be moved from December to January.

In response to a member comment regarding progress on the Crewkerne CLR Scheme, one of the ward members for Crewkerne updated that a reserved matters application would be submitted shortly with a view to the development starting in 2020.

Members noted that the application due to be considered had been withdrawn by the applicant.

This application was withdrawn by the applicant and not considered at the meeting.